That Fan Was Named Steven Seagal

Broadcaster Marv Albert said in surprise, "The producer tells me a fan just called in on the hotline, saying that must be the center of gravity destruction technique from Aikido."

"Good God, he's using fighting techniques?" Larry Bird was stunned.

"There's such a technique?"

Bill Russell said with great astonishment, "For Tang to be able to incorporate this kind of technique into basketball is truly genius—a genius idea."

"Could that fan have been mistaken?" Larry Bird guessed.

Marv Albert shook his head and said, "That fan's name is Steven Seagal. I just watched an action movie he starred in, *Under Siege*."

"Oh!"

"It's him?!"

The other two immediately wore looks of shock.

On the sidelines, in front of the Hornets' bench, Dave Twardzik looked refreshed and full of energy.

From time to time, he glanced at Pat Williams not far away, the corners of his mouth upturned like an assault rifle, completely impossible to suppress.

"Hmph!"

Next to the Magic bench, although Pat Williams was somewhat unhappy, he still maintained his composure.

He always believed in Shaquille O'Neal's talent. Even if O'Neal's performance tonight was inferior to that Tang guy, a single game proved nothing.

After the timeout ended, O'Neal did not return to the floor; the head coach wanted to let him calm down.

Without O'Neal, the Magic found it even harder to resist the Hornets. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 32-18, with the Hornets leading by 14 points on the road.

Tang Bei played a total of ten minutes in the first quarter, shooting 5 for 6, making 1 of 3 free throws, and finishing with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 foul.

O'Neal came back in later to play for two minutes, missed a close-range hook shot, and then committed a foul on Tang Bei, getting substituted once again.

Having played only 6 minutes in total during the first quarter, he shot 1 for 2, scoring 2 points and grabbing 2 rebounds, but accumulated 3 fouls and 2 turnovers.

As the game continued, O'Neal, whose mindset was completely rattled, remained in poor form, committing frequent turnovers on the offensive end and even missing two dunks.

Tang Bei rarely used his elbows under normal circumstances, but seizing the opportunity this time, he delivered a stealthy elbow that left O'Neal feeling both dead and alive.

By the 10th minute of the third quarter, O'Neal fouled out of the game.

Marv Albert remarked, "O'Neal played a fragmented 24 minutes in total, shooting 4 for 9, making 1 of 3 free throws, and finishing with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 9 turnovers, and 6 fouls. His form was truly terrible."

Larry Bird stated, "He had 9 turnovers, 6 of which were caused by Tang's defense. Out of his 6 fouls, 5 were committed against Tang."

In their inaugural clash between the first overall pick and the second overall pick, the second overall pick, Tang, emerged victorious.

At this, Russell smiled and added, "It's quite bizarre. Both in terms of skill and playing experience, O'Neal is the better player, yet he lost."

Larry Bird continued, "Tang is much calmer. At the same time, his center of gravity destruction technique allowed him to gain the upper hand on both ends of the floor. If O'Neal doesn't figure out a way to resolve this issue, he will continue to suffer in future matchups."

Shortly afterward, the final score stood at 117-102. The game concluded, and the Hornets secured their third consecutive win to start the season.

Tang Bei played 35 minutes, featuring for only half of the final quarter. He shot 12 for 16 overall, boasting an impressive 75% shooting accuracy, made 5 of 10 free throws, and recorded 29 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls.

Winning the Player of the Game honors for the second consecutive match, he accepted an on-court post-game interview from the NBC reporter right by the sidelines.

"Tang, after you were drafted, you mentioned in an interview with TNT that your talent is no less than O'Neal's—that you only fell to the second pick because your playing experience and skills were inferior to his. Did you say that?"

"Yes."

"Based on your matchup performance against O'Neal tonight, do you believe you've proven the truth of that statement?"

"You could certainly say that."

Tang Bei answered with immense self-confidence.

Today marked his first official game against O'Neal, and his massive advantage gave him a huge boost of confidence.

Although his basketball fundamentals were inferior to O'Neal's, he had utilized certain martial arts and combat sports techniques, achieving phenomenal results and neutralizing his disadvantage in pure basketball skill.

However, he was well aware that once these techniques were overused and O'Neal grew accustomed to them and prepared accordingly, their effectiveness would certainly not match today's level.

On the way back to the locker room, Tang Bei chatted with John Liu about the All-Star game and the playoffs.

John Liu believed that given the Hornets' strength, making the playoffs would be no problem at all, and Tang Bei himself would have a legitimate shot at making the All-Star team.

Tang Bei now understood the importance of the All-Star selection to a player and replied:

"The Eastern Conference still features elite centers like Patrick Ewing, and now O'Neal as well, so the All-Star game is hard to predict. However, as for the playoffs, I definitely think there's hope."

John Liu reminded him, "You and Larry Johnson still haven't established good chemistry on the court, which severely hurts the Hornets' interior defense and greatly impacts our offense. It's fine against weaker teams, but it will cause serious problems against top-tier opponents."

"Him?"

Tang Bei shook his head and said, "That guy is tough to deal with. Eric says he and I are incompatible unless one of us develops a consistent mid-range jumper."

At this, he let out a cold laugh and added, "Even if I develop a mid-range jumper, there is no way I'm surrendering the space under the rim to him. I am the center; why should I give up the paint to him? He's a power forward; it's his job not to crowd my space."

John Liu was left speechless. It wasn't just that Larry Johnson was difficult to deal with—both of them were equally stubborn.

Larry Johnson finished the night with 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists, but shot a mere 42.9% from the field. His form wasn't great, and upon returning to the locker room, he remained extremely silent.

Kendall Gill performed slightly better with 22 points and 8 rebounds, though his shooting percentage was only 40.9%.

While last season was a duel between two stars, this season it was abundantly clear that Tang Bei's arrival had turned the Hornets into a three-headed monster competing for dominance.

Moreover, through the first three games of the season, Tang Bei had performed the best, twice delivering the team's top performance and earning Player of the Game honors twice.

Given Tang Bei's dominant rise, every player on the Hornets knew that the focal point of this team wasn't necessarily locked in as Larry Johnson.

Larry Johnson's sense of crisis grew heavier by the day, yet he refused to believe he would lose.

This was because he held the kind of influence the other two lacked, possessed commercial value they couldn't match, and held a lucrative nine-figure contract spanning 12 years. If the franchise were to abandon him, they would suffer catastrophic losses.

Kendall Gill grew increasingly frustrated, feeling that his opportunities were shrinking to a minimum.

As for Tang Bei, having played the first three games, his self-confidence grew exponentially. Whatever needed to be fought for, he would seize with everything he had; no one could block his determination and relentless pace in contributing to the Charlotte Hornets.

O'Neal had signed a multi-million dollar signature shoe deal, and Larry Johnson was rumored to have a multi-million dollar signature sneaker contract with Converse as well. He could not afford to lose to those two guys.

If he continued to play a supporting role for Larry Johnson on the Hornets, he might never secure a signature shoe contract in his entire life.

In the home locker room, the team doctor was applying ointment to O'Neal's body.

O'Neal bore at least ten elbow marks on his torso, along with two bruises from crashing into the stands, howling in pain while cursing viciously.

"Ow, lighter, lighter, I'm dying here!"

"Damn it, he definitely elbowed me on purpose! He's an absolute bastard!"

"I swear I'm not going to let him get away with this—hiss, lighter!"

An hour later, Tang Bei, Larry Johnson, Kendall Gill, and John Newman appeared at the post-game press conference.

The NBC reporter asked the first question: "Tang, some fans are saying you utilized the center of gravity destruction technique from Aikido during your defensive plays. Is that true?"

Having been exposed so quickly didn't phase Tang Bei at all. Tonight's game was broadcast nationwide, and with so many fans watching, it was completely normal for someone knowledgeable in Aikido to notice.

Noncommittally, he replied, "I've practiced various martial arts and combat sports, and many of those techniques share similar principles.

You could consider that I applied the center of gravity destruction technique, or you could say I used the Tai Chi concept of deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces. The underlying mechanics are much the same."